Thonburi [ธนบุรี], on the right bank of the Chao Phraya River, is just another part of Bangkok nowadays. As it is close to the mouth of the river, it became an important garrison during the era of the kingdom of Ayutthaya. The other side of the river was already a trading settlement for the Chinese, the Portuguese, the French, and other western nations. As a matter of fact, in Thai, thon [ธน] means 'wealth', whereas buri [บุรี] is a 'fortress'. A fort and a garrison still exist there near Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn).
In 1767, the Burmese sacked the former Siamese capital of Ayutthaya. A year later, in 1768, General Taksin (1734-1782) sailed down the Chao Phraya River from Ayutthaya and landed in Thonburi, which became the capital of the Thonburi Kingdom as he became king until 1782. The newly enthroned king, Rama I, decided to move the capital on the left bank, just across the river. The City Pillar marks the foundation of the site of the new capital, known as Rattanakosin, Bangkok's historic district.
Thonburi finally merged into the city of Bangkok in 1971.
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| Thonburi gingerbread house |
Last August, I crossed the river in order to explore further the area near Santa-Cruz Church on the Thonburi side. Santa-Cruz stands as the oldest Portuguese church in town as the area was meant to relocate the Portuguese community of Ayutthaya.
It has remained a Catholic stronghold up till now. While exploring the area, I passed by a beautiful old teak house facing the river (enclosed photo here). It was absolutely gorgeous but in a very poor condition and I felt it was a pity to leave it in such a crumbling state. In fact, this house has an owner and a story. The Bangkok Post happened to write an article a few days ago. It is called 'A crumbling gingerbread house'. I recognized the pictures of the mansion straight away.Therefore, I could not resist sharing this poignant and fascinating story, hoping someone or some organization will soon decide to restore it to its former grandeur and turn it into a museum, a charming hotel or else a guest-house.
Christian Sorand
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| Sunset panorama of the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya River |
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